Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has named Maduka Okoye , Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Osimhen in his starting line-up for today’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Benin, reports Completesports.com.
Okoye is picked ahead of Francis Uzoho and John Noble in goal.
Fulham’s Ola Aina will occupy the right-back position, while Porto’s Zaidu Sanusi will feature in the left-back position.
Stand-in captain Wiliam Troost-Ekong, who is making his 40th appearance for the Super Eagles will pair Leon Balogun in central defence.
Wilfred Ndidi and Joe Aribo will play in midfield.
Samuel Chukwueze and Henry Onyekuru will play from the right and the left wings with Iheanacho and Osimhen operating as the two main strikers.
Super Eagles X1 VsBenin
Maduka Okoye , Zaidu Sanusi, Ola Aina , William Troost -Ekong, Leon Balogun, Wilfred Ndidi, Joe Aribo , Samuel Chukwueze, Henry Onyekuru, Kelechi Iheanacho , Victor Osimhen
By Adeboye Amosu
22 Comments
Heya! Iwobi is missing!!! Pele gan, it is well with you IJN.
Onyekuru pls show us wot u got
Your big chance to stake a claim in the team Onyejuru.
Chances are scarce in the national team,you have to make the most of this rare opportunity this time otherwise you may never get one in a very long time!
Good. That’s a great starting line-up and I’m so glad that Rohr now reads my posts. With these twin strikers, Benin Republic would fall like a pack of cards. It would be so difficult for them to contain the Eagles.
“I’M SO GLAD THAT ROHR NOW READS MY POSTS”
So he was not reading them before? How dare Rohr ignore Big Joe’s comments?
Big Joe! Na oga na em you be ooo! Senior man!
Every time Rohr comes here, he should go looking straight for Big Joe’s comments. Men, e no easy ooo.
Just joking with you, bro 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’m afraid he doesn’t
Did IWObi test positive for COVID-19? Where? When?
Great line up. Two pacy and skillful wingers and am happy Ola Aina is starting too.
Its amazing how henry oyekuru got invited after being placed on standby and now he is starting when nobody expected him to be in the 11.i just hope he proves a point today and possibly score a goal….the guy juju dey work.hahaha
Which time is today match pls.
For those of us clamouring for olayinka to be invited and bashing rohr,i think the gaffer needs an apology cos i just read the guy did his marriage introduction this same week
Watch it here guys. Match has started.
https://www.facebook.com/101505274668850/videos/271147744625079/?flite=scwspnss
I just heard that iwobi failed a covid 19 test. So sad. Hope we cope without him. He is always a plus for the Super Eagles. We really need iheanacho, aribo and chukwueze to step up their creativity. Go Super Eagles!!!
The match is a formality now to find out first and second as Lesotho and Sierra Leone played a draw. All the best Super Eagles, win big!!!
I just heard that iwobi failed a covid 19 test. So sad. Hope we cope without him. He is always a plus for the Super Eagles. We need aribo, iheanacho and chukwueze to step up their creativity. Go Super Eagles!!!
I just heard that iwobi failed a covid 19 test. So sad. Hope we cope without him. He is always a plus for the Super Eagles. We really need iheanacho, aribo and chukwueze to step up their creativity. Go Super Eagles!!!
Pleaseeeeeeeeee Where can I see the match online or TV?
Congrats to Paul Onuachu for using his presence to save the day… in life, everyone can contribute. Solid defence display by Super Eagles… clean and tidy eachtime. I am very impressed with Kelechi Iheanacho and felt he did a marvelous job today. Before the introduction of Anayo Iwuala… we stopped making quick interlinks and forward play, just being contented with playing a balance structural game. I am 100% convinced Iwualu should continue as part of the team and I thank Coach Rohr for giving the young man a great confidence booster fielding him today… other equally raw but talented lads in the league can have a pointer to also up their game and standout… Nigeria football fans had Iwuala on their lips for the last three weeks and he repaid us with a confident performance today, I like his last effort(though, strike partners were in the box)… I forsee Iwuala remaining in the mix as he gave a confident statement to his game… I applaud our coach and technical team for a job welldone… Benin Republic with fellow West African strengths and spirit are not pushovers as Morocco from last Nations Cup can attest… I will pray for them to do themsleves good by earning a result against Sierra Leone… even though, they gave us a shameful attitude with the practice pitch lightouts issue, I will like Ebuehi to start in-place of Ola Aina in the next game, and Ekong and Balogun to be rested for a central pairing of Awaziem and Ajayi… I will like Iwuala to start on the left and Onyekuru to get only the last 25minutes against Lesotho… it will also be nice to see Uzoho share the halves with John Noble… kelechi should be started in his role he played today and Paul Onuachu be allowed to start in-place of Osimhen. This way… everybody it appears will have been invloved fairly giving us great useful minutes to access other squad members… we had a great game with everyone coming out injury-free! One love folks…
Nice one @JimmyBall-Nigeria controlled the game and was patient,which paid off eventually.
Iwuala needs more game time against Lesotho hopefully he move to a good European club in the summer to help polish his talent,he needs that to be a proper super eagles.
Meanwhile,as an ex football player how would you assess Aribo in todays game?
@Greenturf… thanks! I will say Aribo… is a good player, a good midfielder no doubt but I feel he should try to develop his game to be incisive and be able to control play. Ndidi was always assured and solid in ball winnings and laying a forward pass… It’s a semblance of something like that Aribo still lacks. He was decent today but could add more to his game… Perhaps in the next two years, if he could move to the premiership, or a league that offers more challenge… that assertive part, his game still lacks will be improved. Being assertive was the difference between Ismael Bennecer of Algeria and our midfielders the last Nations Cup… Aribo can really still improve his overall body of game!
Thanks for your response @ JimmyBall..You are right,I hope he moves to the premiership and take his game to a whole new level.He has the physique an imposing height and sweet left foot.
Like you rightly said,he needs to be bullish and assertive that addition to his game would make him a super player for Nigeria.
I believe he will improve with more games for the super eagles for the fact he had a ninety minutes football today means he wasn’t bad after all otherwise an Etebo or Shehu should have subbed him but the coach who sees from close range might have a different view on the midfield ace.
Up super eagles and more strength to u guys.let’s come home and finish up the remaining game against Lesotho